


they say in heaven love comes first

by NaomiLeyers



Category: Spartacus Series (TV), Spartacus: Gods of the Arena
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Multi, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-05-20 22:26:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19385806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NaomiLeyers/pseuds/NaomiLeyers
Summary: In the following days, something changes. Not with the ludus and not with the villa and it is not the storm Oenomaus worried about, it is more of a gentle breeze bringing something new.She listens to her husband when he talks to her about the new gladiator and there is something like respect in his voice. He doesn’t tell her where the other man came from or why he laughs way too loudly to mean it, but he does talk about his skill and Melitta decides it is enough.Oenomaus is an honourable and a dangerous man and- as Melitta is well aware- it is difficult, if not nearly impossible to impress him. Yet, this man somehow manages it.in which opponents are slayed, kisses are given and Melitta lives





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> nothing belongs to me except plot, all characters belong to Steven deKnight and to starz and the title is from Heaven is a Place on Earth by Belinda Carlisle

Melitta has never particularly hated the ways of ludus. She has never fancied them either, but she has been Lucretia’s body slave long enough to simply get used to them. 

She is there on the day of the trial; all the house slaves are, Batiatus always makes it a private show for the entire ludus, to show everyone what his gladiators are capable of and what happens to all slaves who fail to win his favour. 

It is not the first trial she witnesses, it is not even the tenth, for that matter and, as always, she feels something close to remorse when she looks at the recruits. The test itself doesn’t sound precisely difficult. To stand up against a gladiator for 3 minutes and survive, but she has seen many men fall and she has seen those gladiators fight in the arena and she knows, knows that they are deadly and unforgiving.

The first of the recruits, pale and small and unhappy, faces Auctus. He does an unfortunate move forward, Auctus moves quickly as a snake and- because Melitta wasn’t entirely right before, gladiators are deadly, unforgiving and vain when given an opportunity- he uses his dagger to cut the recruit’s throat, not even bothering to raise his spear. The man dies before falling to the ground.

Next to Melitta her domina looks away and Batiatus whispers a frustrated “fuck”. 

The second man, a German, tall and blond and almost handsome if not for his scarred face, faces Barca and survives, but during the fight, seconds before the end of it, his foot slips and he falls from the platform. Melitta winces at the sound of bone breaking. The man screams. Barca jumps down from the platform and he actually looks almost, almost apologetic. He looks up at the balcony, awaiting orders from his dominus and Batiatus whispers his second “fuck” in the last five minutes as he nods slightly. Melitta doesn’t need to look down to know what comes next. Healing a broken leg takes time and costs money and Batiatus cannot afford feeding a gladiator who hasn’t won his fame and who doesn’t fight in arena. 

“You would have done fine,” Barca tells the man quietly. 

Unlike his lover, he does raise his spear, because this man deserves to die a death of a gladiator.

Batiatus looks angry when he watches the corpse being dragged away. Melitta understands him, she and Oenomaus were talking about it just yesterday in the evening, before he kissed her so deep she lost herself in his touch. Days after Titus’ departure their dominus bought eight men, hoping to find his new champion or, at least, someone good enough to prove to Titus his son is not a complete failure. Only three of them survived long enough to face the trial.

And two of those died in moments.

She and Batiatus both shift their gaze to look at the remaining recruit. He is handsome (Melitta loves her husband, but hey, she has eyes), lithe and he is smiling slightly, despite the fact that he has just seen the last two of his comrades fall. 

There is something about him; something Melitta cannot quite place.

Batiatus sighs loudly. Melitta doesn’t judge him; the recruit cannot be older than twenty-five and his hair is long and braided. Sure, Barca too wears similar style, but Barca is the Beast of Carthage. This man- isn't. 

“At least Father is in Sicilia and doesn’t see it,” Batiatus says quietly, mostly to himself. Then he shrugs. 

Then he raises his voice.

“We have seen two men die,” he says, “some fought more bravely than the others.” The gladiators laugh. “Yet there is one more fight awaiting us. The Fates have decided it, have chosen the opponents. Gannicus. You have your chance to prove yourself to me. Stay alive facing my Champion.”

The young man steps forward. He stopped smiling but he doesn’t look scared either. Melitta finds herself wishing him luck. She is married to the Champion of Capua, after all. She has always admired bravery. 

Oenomaus steps forward too and he nods to himself before raising his sword. Gannicus calmly copies his movement. Batiatus sighs loudly again.

“Begin,” he says.

Melitta braces herself for the other man’s death; she has seen her husband fight, she has seen what Oenomaus can do when given a weapon. 

Except that then Gannicus doesn’t die right in front of her eyes. 

It is clear that the fight is uneven. But the way the slave fights her husband makes Melitta almost smile, because he isn't defending. He is attacking, swift and deadly.

(Maybe she should worry, but she knows Oenomaus. She trusts him with her heart and with her life and she knows he wouldn’t get himself killed like this.)

Three minutes pass. Both men remain standing. Batiatus makes a step forward, forgetting momentarily that he stands on a balcony and he collides with the wooden construction. He lets out his third fuck, but he is actually smiling, generously ignoring tiny smirks of his gladiators.

“Gannicus has fought my champion and he managed to survive,” he proclaims, proud, as if he was the one fighting. “Thus he earns the mark of the brotherhood.”

Melitta will never fully understand mentality of these men, of men who cheered loudly when the other recruits were killed, of men who happily humiliate the recruits anytime they are given the chance, but who are now cheering wildly, chanting Gannicus’ name and clapping their hands. She exchanges a smile with her husband. Oenomaus looks proud and intrigued.

“Your husband is a good man,” Batiatus tells her. 

She lowers her gaze.

“I know, dominus,” she answers.

“When your chores are done, you have my permission to go to him,” he adds. 

Then he dances away from the balcony, bracing himself for the branding ceremony as if he was the one gaining the mark.

 

 

She finds Oenomaus in his cell, alone and lost in thoughts. She gently places a hand on his shoulder and he looks up, smiling and tilting his head upwards so that she can kiss him. She does that, with a lot of enthusiasm, parting her lips and letting him in, climbing into his lap as they kiss. 

“You are distractive,” he tells her, amused.

She laughs into his mouth. 

“My husband is here in front of me, oiled and almost naked and he has just kissed my brain away, but I am the one distractive?” she asks him.

Oenomaus absentmindedly kisses her shoulder. She sighs and allows herself to slip off his lap. 

“What concerns you, my love?” 

He smiles at her, his eyes serious and kind and loving at the same time.

“Nothing concerns me, Melitta,” he answers her. “I am merely intrigued by my new brother.”

She sighs. Then she moves on the bed so that she can lean against the cold wall and she guides him to lie down against her, his head in her lap. He lets her.

“So he survived,” she tells him. “It doesn’t have to mean anything. You are the champion of the ludus, the champion of Capua and it is not changing presently or any time soon.” She shrugs. “It was a three minute test, husband. I know at least six other gladiators who would be able to face you and survive for three minutes. I even know at least two who would survive for five minutes, when we are at it.” 

He nods. “A fact I am well aware of. But we both know it; Batiatus is searching for a new champion. One that wouldn’t remind him of his father.” 

Melitta rolls them, so that he is lying on the bed and she positions herself on top of him, presses so close that there is no place left between them.

“Batiatus is no fool. You are his champion and you will remain him, for as long as the gods wish it. They know I wish you weren’t,” she adds with a wink and that makes him laugh. 

“I’ve represented this house hundreds of times and survived. You have no reason to fear for my safety.”

She kisses him.

“You are my husband,” she reminds him. “I will always fear for your safety. And your safety is more questionable than the safety of other gladiators here, as long as you lead them. Do you really think Gannicus will replace you?” 

Oenomaus looks up at her and she winks at him again and slides her mouth down, kissing his collar bone.

“You mistake me, my love. If he proves himself worthy of this position I will be first to give it up for him and congratulate him. But I fear for him and for us. Dominus is too keen on erasing Titus from this place. I fear storm that is in front of us. And I fear the changes it will bring.”

Melitta doesn’t answer him immediately, instead she returns to his lips and kisses him again, deeper than before and they kiss until they are both out of breath.

“We will face that storm when it comes,” she tells him. “Together. But now I need not a champion. I need my husband.” 

He happily obliges her. 

 

 

In the following days, something changes. Not with the ludus and not with the villa and it is not the storm Oenomaus worried about, it is more of a gentle breeze bringing something new.

She listens to her husband when he talks to her about the new gladiator and there is something like respect in his voice. He doesn’t tell her where the other man came from or why he laughs way too loudly to mean it, but he does talk about his skill and Melitta decides it is enough. 

Oenomaus is an honourable and a dangerous man and- as Melitta is well aware of- it is difficult, if not nearly impossible to impress him. Yet, this man somehow manages it.

“Are you looking for your husband?” Gannicus asks her quietly, waking her up from her thoughts.

She smiles at him. (It is hard not to, he is handsome and easy-going and a perfect opposite of her husband and yet she has no doubts he is just as dangerous as Oenomaus.)

“Doctore, actually,” she admits. “Batiatus gave me the list of tomorrow fights. Have you seen him?”

He smirks. “Batiatus?” 

She smacks him lightly on the shoulder, making him laugh.

“Doctore.”

He is still laughing but he navigates her to Doctore. Then he shoots a suspicious glance towards his brothers.

“Would you mind it terribly if I decided to accompany you to him?” he asks her. “I fear Oenomaus would decide to murder me if I let you wander alone around ludus. I would most definitely beat him, but I love saving damsels in distress.”

Melitta crosses her hands on her chest but she returns him the smile.

“I’m not in distress and I have my doubts about being a damsel,” she retorts. “But for the sake of my husband, feel free to-“ she lowers her voice, mimicking him “- accompany me.”

His laughter follows her through the cold corridors, making them warmer.

 

 

Oenomaus hugs her when she walks into his cell.

“I hear you spoke to Gannicus,” he tells her. “How do you like him?”

“I believe I understand now why every woman and at least a good half of the men desire him,” she says, smirking. 

He kisses her cheek. “Every woman?” he asks. “Does that mean you desire him too?”

She turns her head so that they can kiss.

“Gannicus is certainly very handsome and very capable of making women laugh and moan. However, I have found out my desires lie elsewhere. Somehow it appears I adore silent brooding champions more.”

There is something in his eyes that she cannot quite distinguish but he blinks several times and smiles and kisses her again before lifting her up.

“I love you, Melitta,” he tells her. “You know that, right?”

“Of course,” she answers, “as I love you, husband.”

From that time things are different. Somehow it is not only the two of them anymore; Gannicus spends more time with Oenomaus and by exertion with Melitta too- she often finds them sitting in Oenomaus’ cell, sharing wine and laughing and she joins them. Gannicus holds her hand when Oenomaus fights in the arena, gently reminding her that her husband is the Great Oenomaus, the Champion of Capua and that he will be victorious. She doesn’t even realize how much she cares for him, too, until he is at the sands, facing two heavily armed gladiators and she find herself overwhelmed by fear, suddenly painfully aware it is not only Oenomaus’ life she prays for anymore. 

 

 

The next time she enters the ludus, however, she finds Gannicus angrily attacking a wooden block, most of his good mood gone. 

“Is something wrong?” she asks him softly and he lowers his swords for a moment to look at her.

“Ask your fucking husband,” he snaps. “Or dominus.”

She steps closer to him, gently placing her hand on his shoulder.

“Will do that. But right now, I am asking you.”

His anger seems to deflate a bit, as he doesn’t stab her.

“You really should go and talk to Oenomaus,” he says and she has never seen him this angry or this serious. 

When she does, what he wants from her, she finds her husband sitting on the ground of his cell. 

“What is happening, my love?” Melitta asks him and he looks up at her absentmindedly.

“Have you ever heard of Theokoles?” he asks her instead of answering.

“Of the Shadow of Death? Of course; everyone has heard of him.”

He nods.

“Batiatus says he wants to meet me in the arena,” he says after a long moment of silence. 

Melitta closes her eyes for a second, lets the horror wash all over her. When she opens them again, she can feel herself trembling. 

“But he will refuse it, right?” she asks. “He has to refuse; you cannot fight the Shadow of the Death!”

Oenomaus manages to stand up and he gently takes her into his arms. She presses impossibly closer to him.

“I am sorry my love,” Oenomaus tells her. “I told him I accept. It wouldn’t be-“ 

Melitta doesn’t let him finish.

“It wouldn’t be what? Honourable? I don’t care what is honourable, Oenomaus, no one has ever survived fighting Theokoles! And you will willingly do this?”

Oenomaus lets go of her. He takes a step back, arms crossed on his chest.

“I do the right thing Melitta. He asked for me. And I will fight him. Or would you want your husband to be called coward?”

 

 

In a fortnight he does face the Shadow of the Death in the Arena. 

He falls.

 

 

“He will survive,” Gannicus tells her. 

She doesn’t stop staring at Oenomaus, at his almost lifeless body.

“You cannot know that,” she retorts.

“I do. Oenomaus is the strongest man I’ve ever met. Melitta, I have seen good men fall, but I know your husband will not be one of them.”

She doesn’t plan to break down crying but somehow she does. Gannicus looks moderately distressed (in another situation she would tease him about it, after all, it is kind of amusing that a man who spreads death without hesitation feels panic in contact with the crying wife of his best friend) but then he clearly makes a decision and he gently pulls her into a hug. 

“We have to have faith,” he tells her, kinder and more serious than she has ever seen him before. “Oenomaus is strong and he is brave. And he will come back to you.”

Melitta rests her head against his chest and Gannicus doesn’t push her away. 

“To us,” she corrects him gently, but he brushes it off with a laugh. “I mean it,” she says then. “He will come back to us.” 

“Because he loves us both?” he jokes, but there is something in his voice that Melitta cannot quite place.

“Precisely,” she agrees. “And also, because if he didn’t, you would surely find a way to annoy him back to full strength.”

Gannicus lets go of her then but he doesn’t leave and Melitta decides to count that as a win. (He never talks to her about anything serious, he jests and laughs and covers the cracks with wine and women and Melitta has always liked fixing broken things.)

“You are a very special woman,” he tells her, his voice pained. “Oenomaus is a lucky man.”

“Was there a special woman to you somewhere?” she asks him then.

He looks at her, clearly this close to leaving, but then he looks at Oenomaus and sighs and sits down on the cold ground.

“Only my mother,” he tells her and Melitta follows his example, sitting down. “And that was a long time ago.”

“I’m sorry.”

He shrugs.

“Been a while ago. Doesn’t matter anymore. You shouldn’t concern yourself with my ghosts. What matters is here and now. You. Oenomaus. Swords in my hands and fight and blood and wine and women.”

He smirks but it lacks his usual charm. “Not necessarily in this order.”

“How sweet,” she comments, but she still presses closer to him. 

They spend the rest of the night in silence, leaning against each other. They don’t talk about it in the morning; Gannicus leaves (which is an euphemism for being almost dragged away by an annoyed doctore) to train shortly after sunrise and Melitta moves closer to her husband, inspecting his wounds and making sure he still breaths. 

Lucretia finds her there couple of hours later, uncombed and tired and clearly frustrated, but any anger she could feel disappears when she sees her slave curled up on the ground. 

“I shall find Naevia to take care of me,” Melitta’s domina tells her, not unkindly. “Stay here until he wakes up. Then inform me about his state.”

Melitta nods.

“Gratitude, domina,” she answers politely and Lucretia smiles at her encouragingly.

 

 

Oenomaus wakes up two days later.

He is forbidden from entering arena again, several times, first by an angry-looking medicus, later by Gannicus (“Lowering your shield like a girl holding weapons accidentally for the first time, are you fucking stupid or did you want that fucker to kill you?”) and eventually by Batiatus.

 

 

When Gannicus is named the new Champion of the ludus, he doesn’t even look happy, he nods and quietly gives Batiatus his gratitude and then asks their dominus for permission to talk to Oenomaus immediately. 

Melitta doesn’t know what transpires between them (they talk for what seems like hours). When they finally emerge, he is smiling for real again, for the first time ever since Oenomaus had been injured.

 

 

For several months their lives continue almost undisturbed except for occasional fights to death.

 

 

Then the news of finishing the new arena and the news of Quentilius Varus’ arrival arrive.


	2. Chapter 2

I love you, Gannicus told her.

I don’t love you, she didn’t say.

But she didn’t stop loving her husband either.

This means she owes him the truth.

Melitta is pretty sure she has been abandoned by all gods, but right now it is of no meaning.

“I would have words,” she tells Gannicus quietly. “Tonight.”

She doesn’t even wait for his answer, quickly gone to find her husband.

 

*

 

If Gannicus is surprised to find Oenomaus and not only her in his cell when he enters, he doesn’t show it. She and Gannicus share a quick glance. Don’t, his eyes seem to be telling her, which it useless because her entire body and mind is screaming the same. But she has to. She has seen people suffocate in guilt and she refuses to be the reason Gannicus and her husband won’t talk anymore. Oenomaus deserves truth. And the two of them deserve peace, even if it means her husband will hate them both.

“There is something I have to tell you,” she says.

Oenomaus takes a step closer to her, his eyes full of concern and love, oh, gods, love. She is going to miss it.

“Melitta,” Gannicus says, urge in his voice clear but she ignores him.

“It is the right thing,” she says.

Gannicus sighs but then he nods and moves closer to them, putting himself into a position between her and Oenomaus. Protecting her, Melitta realizes with a shock. As if Oenomaus was capable of hurting her. Hating her, sure. But he would never harm her, of that she is sure.

“Couple of weeks ago,” Gannicus starts, absolutely serious, and Melitta misses his smile. Then he sighs and starts again. “Do you remember Quentilius Varus?” he asks.

Oenomaus nods.

“The Roman who gave the House of Batiatus the Primus,” he admits and Gannicus looks like he might be sick.

“Yes. You’ve never asked what was asked of me in exchange for such honour.”

Melitta’s husband smiles at him. “I assumed it was your performance,” he says, his voice fucking proud and alright, now Gannicus looks not only sick but also guilty and Melitta is sure she looks quite similar.

“It was,” she speaks up. “Varus was extremely pleased with his performance. But not in arena.”

Oenomaus eyes widen in understanding.

“He forced you to sleep with him?” he asks, not waiting for an answer. “And Batiatus allowed it? You should have told me the moment it happened. I need to talk to Titus. He needs to know what is happening and-”

“He didn’t fuck me,” Gannicus interrupts him, his voice barely above a whisper. “Nor did he want me to fuck him. Though I presently find myself wishing he had rather done that.”

Melitta reminds herself to talk to him about it, sometimes soon, but it can wait. This cannot. She speaks again, before Oenomaus can demand explanation.

“Varus said he was too tired to have sex himself. He asked for a showing instead. He ordered Gannicus to fuck me.”

For a very long time Oenomaus doesn’t say anything.

Then he crosses the distance between them and pulls Melitta into a hug, holding her so tight she is almost worried about her ribs except not really because her husband is here and not leaving and that it enough for now.

“I am so sorry, love,” he whispers eventually and Melitta closes her eyes and allows herself to break down, tears falling as she clutches against him.

“I’ll leave you to it,” Gannicus tells them then, his voice soft and sad and Melitta knows she can’t let him leave, but before she can voice her emotions Oenomaus beats her to it. “I’m sorry for forcing myself on you Melitta. And I am sorry for all that followed.”

Her husband gently lets go of her, kissing her hair as he does that and he catches Gannicus by his wrist before he can leave.

“As I recall it,” Melitta finds herself saying, “there were two unwilling that night. You are not blame for what happened. Varus is.”

Before Gannicus can protest, he, too, is pulled into a hug by Oenomaus and he lets out a disbelieving laugh but returns the hug nevertheless.

Melitta lets them remain like that for a while, with tears in her eyes and smile on her lips. Then Oenomaus offers her a hand, without breaking the hug and she smiles and takes it.

“I expected you to break my bones,” Gannicus says later that evening, when they are not hugging anymore but they are still close enough to do so.

Oenomaus laughs, bitterly.

“From what you and Melitta have told me, you stood both absent choice.”

Gannicus sighs then and Melitta realizes what he is about to say only mere seconds before he actually says it.

“I did fall in love with her though. Of that I am full guilty.”

Oenomaus stays without single movement for a very long time.

Then he shifts his look to Melitta.

“And you?” he asks, his voice painfully calm.

Melitta can feel her own trembling as she replies with “Of that I am not sure, though I know my feelings _have_ changed.” but before Oenomaus can ask anything else, she is quick to add, “But that doesn’t change my feelings towards you, husband. I love you still.”

When Oenomaus speaks again, his voice is gently and pained.

“I have hoped-“ he starts, disbelieving, “but I never wanted it to happen this way. I’ve dreamt of having both of you, but I never wanted it to happen as a result of-“

Melitta is fairly sure, she has gone crazy because there is no way her husband means what she thinks but then Gannicus surprises her once again.

“You know my feelings, Oenomaus,” he says, “you have known them for months.”

He turns to Melitta and he sees confusion in her eyes, he has to see it.

“I told him I loved him months ago, Melitta. Just like I told him there would be nothing I would do if it meant endangering what you two have between you.” He laughs, humourlessly. “This is the most surprising element of me falling in love with you; I have loved your husband already back then.”

And Melitta thinks she should maybe panic or get angry or something but she is tired and exhausted of secrets and she decides maybe it is time to be brave.

She locks her gaze with Oenomaus’ and it is probably good thing that they have been married for so long because he can read what she wants to do in her eyes and he looks taken aback for a split second but then he gives her the smallest of nods and she smiles and breaks the distance between her and Gannicus and she kisses him, slowly enough that he has enough time to stop her if he wants to. He doesn’t. Instead he leans impossibly closer and his hands fly to her hips and he presses his body against hers and then he deepens the kiss and yes, good, this is good, no, it is fucking amazing and she raises her left hand and Oenomaus smiles even brighter and he catches it, joining them.

When they part, they are both breathless and smiling and when Gannicus smirks and kisses her husband, she thinks yes, alright, this was the best thing that could happen and then she is being pulled back into the kiss and then she stops thinking altogether.

 

*

 

Afterwards they lay curled up on the bed and it should feel at least slightly weird, but it doesn’t. No, it feel good, in fact it feels fucking natural and she is never going to forgive Varus for forcing her and Gannicus into it (she is never going to forgive Batiatus and Lucretia for that matter) but she definitely isn't going to complain now, not with Gannicus trailing lazy kisses along her neck and not when Oenomaus is painting random pictures on her belly with one hand and carding through Gannicus’ hair with the other one.

 

*

 

She watches from balcony as the final, most important fight takes place, watches with shaking hands as Gannicus and Crixus fights and thinks this is what it looks like when the gods fight. It is a long fight, one that takes almost an hour and she tries to catch Oenomaus’ eyes down on the sands but he doesn’t take his eyes away from the sparring couple and he is holding his whip tight enough that his knuckles must hurt and she knows precisely how he feels because she most definitely feels the same, cold feeling of panic because it is taking too long and she cannot lose Gannicus, not now when the things are getting better, not now when they finally work and-

Gannicus makes a swift thrust forward and he uses his swords to get Crixus rid of his own and then he kicks him into ribs, making the Gaul fall backwards and Melitta releases the breath she didn’t even realized she was holding.

 

*

 

Then Titus Batiatus dies. Melitta cries a little, curled up against her husband, with her face buried into Gannicus’ chest, surrounded by the warmth of their bodies but somehow feeling cold anyway, but it was always mostly Oenomaus whom Titus loved as a son and so, when her tears are gone she pressed closer to him and kisses him, gently at first but giving into the kiss as it grows heated up. She ends up on top of him, rolling her hips against his and moaning her pleasure into his mouth, while Gannicus sucks lazy kisses and bites into Oenomaus’ neck and collarbone.

“I’m sorry,” Gannicus says softly then, when they lay together in a sweaty heap of limbs. “I never fancied him, but I know he loved you like a son. I am sorry.”

Oenomaus smiles at him and it is almost scary to see him smile with so much coldness in his eyes, when he answers “Tullius will pay for this.” and it is definitely scary to see that cold anger reflect in Gannicus’ smirk as he says “Oh yes, he will.”

 

*

 

She doesn’t know what exactly transpires between Batiatus’ men and Tullius, but when the gladiators return to the villa, their eyes are fiery and Batiatus is shining. Melitta watches him, standing between them, men trained to kill, unarmed and she finds herself asking, bitterly and for the first time, how could it happen, that this man of all, holds that much power over them all.

 

*

 

Melitta cries when Diona is executed.

She is the only person on the balcony to do so.

 

*

 

She and Oenomaus find Gannicus in his cell, sitting on the ground, still cover in blood and sand, staring distantly at the iron bars.

“Are you alright?” Melitta asks him as she sits next to him from one side, halfway aware of Oenomaus doing the same on the other.

The ground is cold and uncomfortable. She doesn’t give a fuck about comfort at this moment.

“I don’t want to leave,” Gannicus says softly, which, Melitta is painfully aware, is not a yes.

“I’ll talk to dominus,” he husband answers immediately, “we’ll figure it out.”

“There’s no need, brother,” Gannicus interrupts him, still hypnotizing the wall, “we have already shared words on that.” He laughs, somewhat bitterly.“He made it quite clear he despises the idea of me not fighting for this house anymore.”

“Then why-“ Melitta starts.

“How can it be the same?” Gannicus asks her, bitterly. “I would not be put on a pedestal of freedom, above you. I don’t need that. I don’t _want_ that. I don’t want to leave. But I would rather be gone than staying with the knowledge I lost you.”

Melitta is almost sure she has just heard her own heart break and she can _feel_ that the sorrow she suddenly feels is reflected in Oenomaus’ eyes.

“It won’t change anything,” she says, her voice determined and hurt and maybe angry. “I love you, for gods’ sake.” She takes a deep breath. “We love you.”

“We love you,” Oenomaus repeats, and he sounds elated and that’s when Melitta realizes she has never before expressed this sentiment for real and it sends her into a fit of slightly hysterical laughter and she should feel ashamed of fucking two men, of _loving_ two men, but somehow she can’t bring herself to care.

Both men, _her men_ , she thinks, stare at her incredulously for a while.

“I love you,” she manages to say between pained breaths, because she is laughing so hard that it hurts, “I love you. Both of you.”

“Oh gods, did we break you?” Gannicus asks her, and there is a bit of worry in his voice, but it is mixed with amusement and he doesn’t look lost anymore.

It takes a while and she is hurting everywhere but they do join her in laughter eventually.

 

*

 

Two years later the villa’s floor is covered in blood, the place that she once considered her home, but not now, not anymore, filled with bodies and death. She is standing between them and her lovers are still armed, but they both have taken hold of her hands as they listen to the Thracian.

“If we do this,” Oenomaus says, “there is no turning back.”

His voice is kind and worried and she knows, _knows_ , if she says she wants to leave, they will both leave with her and they could do it, they could board the first ship to Gallia or to Germania or to Egypt for all she cares and they might hate Rome for all the pain it brought them, but they would give up their vengeance for her and the thought is tempting, painfully so.

But then she looks at Spartacus and he is saying something about his wife and she doesn’t know her, but she knows other women and men; she knows Barca and she knows Auctus and she knows Diona and Naevia and she _knows_ the people around her and she will never have children of her own, the potions (poisons) Lucretia has fed her have surely ensured that, but she has these people and Spartacus cannot do this alone, he needs Oenomaus and he needs Gannicus and Melitta is plenty of things, but she isn't selfish, never that.

“You’ll have to teach me how to use them,” she says quietly, pointing to the swords. “If we die, we die. But I will not die on my knees. Nor running.”

They walk through the gate holding hands.

She doesn’t look back.

 

THE END


End file.
